MP calls for bone marrow champions

REDDITCH residents have been urged to join the bone marrow register to help the fight against blood cancer.

Anthony Nolan and Redditch MP Karen Lumley have joined forces for the appeal. For the first time the charity has mapped the bone marrow register across the UK by local area.

In Redditch there are more than 562 people willing to donate their stem cells or bone marrow to save the life of a stranger.

However it is well below the average of 796 per Parliamentary constituency and is ranked 467th out of 650.

Two thirds of UK patients in need of a transplant will not find a matching donor from their family. Anthony Nolan helps them find an unrelated donor but can currently only match half of all requests.

Mrs Lumley said: "I want to see many more of my constituents join this fight. I’m hunting for more crusaders to sign up today, so we can fight blood cancer together. It is something truly heroic to give a stranger a second chance at life. This is why I’m proud to champion this cause to my constituents."

Ann O’Leary, head of register development at Anthony Nolan, added: "Donating is an incredibly selfless thing to do and will give someone with blood cancer their best chance at survival."

Anyone aged 16 to 30 and in good health can join the bone marrow register. It involves filling out a simple online form and spitting into a tube.